Quinoa and Fresh Beet Salad (Dairy Free)

This quinoa and fresh beet salad is a bright and flavorful recipe that’s as easy to make as it is pretty! Made with perfectly cooked, fluffy quinoa, raw shredded beets, fresh herbs, green onions, and a lemony dressing. It’s the perfect simple side dish or a great start to a complete meal. In this post, I also cover my favorite method for making fool-proof quinoa! The recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and vegan / vegetarian!

The best quinoa and beet salad

Sometimes there is actually nothing better than a bright and fresh salad to lift your mood.

This quinoa salad, made with the simplest ingredients, is one of those salads.

Let me tell you why I love it: It’s got that whole laid-back and wholesome vibe going on. The punchy lemon dressing lightens up the earthy notes from the fresh beets, and parsley and green onion add a layer of freshness – all soaking into each perfectly cooked bite of quinoa.

After the quinoa is cooked and cooled, you toss everything together, and it’s ready to be enjoyed. You can garnish with some extra green onion and parsley for looks (because who doesn’t like pretty food!), but it will also be delicious without.

It makes an excellent side dish if you’re planning on a big spread, can be enjoyed on its own, or (my favorite) tossed with some salad greens and topped with cooked chicken for a complete meal.

If you’re looking for more yummy ways to use quinoa be sure to check out our recipes for Quinoa Tabbouleh, Curried Quinoa Pilaf, and One Pot Southwest Quinoa and Black Beans!

Recipe testing notes

Fool-proof quinoa

During my years in the kitchen, I’ve been let down many times when opening the lid to a pot of quinoa I had just cooked to find a watery mess with only partially cooked quinoa.

I’ve tried reducing the amount of liquid used, but that didn’t always provide consistently fluffy quinoa.

The method that has always worked best for me is to lower the heat to the lowest possible heat setting and increase the cooking time by about ten minutes past the recommended time.

So for example, most quinoa cooking instructions on the package state to cook it for 15 minutes, but I find it turns out best when cooked for 25.

This amount of time ensures that the quinoa absorbs all of the liquid, and turns out light and fluffy every time.

Grating the beets

For easy clean up and fast prep I like to use the grating blade on my food processor to grate the beets for this salad.

You can also grate them using a box grater if you don’t have a food processor with a grating blade.

I suggest using gloves if you want to keep your hands from getting stained pink!

Ingredients

This salad comes together with an astonishingly simple mix of fresh ingredients. You can find the full list of ingredients, along with measurements, in the recipe card below. These are my ingredient notes and recommendations!

Quinoa

I used tri-color quinoa for this salad recipe, but any kind will work!

Check the package to see if the quinoa has been pre-rinsed. If it hasn’t, you’ll want to rinse it using a fine mesh strainer.

Water

For cooking the quinoa.

Grated beets

I love using fresh beets instead of roasted in a salad like this for a few reasons.

First of all, it shortens the prep time! If you use them fresh and don’t have to cook them, you’ll spend less time in the kitchen.

And secondly, the flavor is just so good. Bright, a little bit sweet, and deeply earthy.

I love roasted beets in other salads, but I’ll always use fresh for this one.

Green onions

Undeniably bright and with the slightest bit of bite, green onions add some welcome freshness and texture.

Fresh parsley

For depth and more fresh flavor.

Other fresh herbs could be used instead of or in addition to parsley!

Lemony dressing

Made with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.

It’s incredibly easy to whisk together and brings a lot of flavor!

If you like extra acidity in your salad dressings, increase the lemon juice by a tablespoon or two.

How to make quinoa and fresh beet salad

Cooking the quinoa and allowing it to cool are the most time-consuming parts of making this salad, but those are both hands-off tasks, which is nice! I always suggest reading through the recipe at least once before you start cooking so the recipe flows smoothly.

Step 1: Prepare the quinoa

If your quinoa is not already pre-rinsed (it should be specified on the packaging), rinse it well using a fine mesh strainer.

Add quinoa to a medium sized pot with water and bring to a strong simmer. Cook for 25 minutes. Remove pot from the heat and take off the liquid. Allow the steam to release for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Step 2: Make the dressing

Add lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup or honey, Dijon mustard, and kosher salt to a small bowl and whisk to combine.

Step 3: Assemble the salad

Add quinoa, beets, green onions, and parsley to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

Step 4: Serve and enjoy!

Garnish salad with additional parsley and green onions if desired. Serve immediately or transfer to the refrigerator for up to 3 hours until ready to serve.

Storage and making ahead of time

Once dressed, this salad should keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

If you want to make it ahead of time I suggest leaving the dressing separate until about an hour before serving. This step will ensure that the herbs and green onions stay fresh and green.

If you enjoyed this recipe, we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe. 

Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!

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